Essex County NJ - NJTGO.com

• Senior citizens center
• Playground
• Bocce courts
• Four softball fields
• Two soccer fields
• ¼-mile jogging path
• Connects to Hendricks Field Golf Course and Branch Brook Park to form a continuous green strip

Branchbrook Park
Park Ave. & Lake St.
Newark, NJ

Features:

• A large lake, meandering streams, and in the north, the Second River channel.
• Spectacular view of the Cathedral Basilica across the lake.
• Playgrounds, ballfields, basketball, tennis, horseshoes.
• The famed "Cherry Blossom Land."
• Annual Festival and 10-k run at cherry blossom time.
• Greenhouse acts as a central nursery and horticulture center for the entire park system.
• The park system maintenance center and garage.
• The park system administration building, built in 1916—listed on both the state and national historic    registers.
• The northern division meadow is one of the largest recreational open green spaces to be found in    Essex.
• “Monarch Meadow,” a newly established butterfly garden.
• Senior citizen center, originally a boat landing shelter.
• Walled remains of the old Newark reservoir.
• Near the reservoir a mound and its retaining stone wall are designed to resemble an ancient ruin.
• Roller rink—completed in 1995, site of the park system's Centennial Birthday Celebration.
• Four-mile park drive.
• Pedestrian bridges, Park & Bloomfield Avenue bridges and the railroad bridges in northern extension are   striking architectural features.
• Ballantine Gateway.
• Meeker Mound Pavilion.
• Sculptured lions which flank a formal boat landing were originally stationed in front of the old Newark Prudential building.

BROOKDALE PARK
Watchung Ave., Bloomfield;
Grove St., Montclair, NJ

Features:

• 1½ mile fitness course.
• Synthetic ¼ mile running track and football field.
• Soccer & softball fields.
• Archery field.
• Bike races.
• Grandstand
• Fieldhouse.
• Interpretative Trail.
• Playground.
• 11 Tennis Courts.
• Formal rose garden with over 100 different species.
• Favorite park for summer concerts and Fourth of July celebrations.

Eagle Rock Reservation
Prospect Ave. & Eagle Rock Ave.
West Orange, NJ 07052

Features:

Unrivaled view of the New York City skyline from the George Washington Bridge to the Verrazano Bridge.
The "Old Casino" located at the edge of the cliff, now converted into the Highlawn Pavilion restaurant, noted for its excellent cuisine and spectacular view.
September 11, 2001, Memorial. Sculpture and plaza commemorate the location where hundreds viewed the 9/11 tragedy.
Bridle paths / horseback riding.
Hiking trails.
Picnic area.
Softball diamond.
Habitat to a wide range of flora and fauna.
Predominantly a red oak forest, with a unique red maple wetland in the northern section of the tract.

GLENFIELD PARK
Bloomfield Ave. & Maple Ave.
Montclair, NJ

Features:

• Large community center.
• Football field.
• Field hockey.
• Softball fields.
• Tennis Courts.
• Lighted basketball courts.
• Large playground & fitness court.
• Glenfield Middle School, adjacent to the park, uses it for many of their programs.
• Toney's Brook flows through the glen.

GROVER CLEVELAND PARK
Brookside Ave. & Runnymede Rd.,
Essex Fells, NJ 07021

Features:

• Four foot bridges connect the two areas of the park divided by the stream.
• Lighted tennis courts.
• Fieldhouse.
• Baseball field.
• Playground.
• Fishing.
• Jogging walkways.
• Picnic grove.
• Ice skating.

Hilltop Reservation
Fairview Ave.
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009

Features:

Hiking trails.
Wildlife refuge.

INDEPENDENCE PARK
Van Buren St. & Walnut St.
Newark, NJ

Features:

• Playground.
• Three heavily used youth softball fields, lighted.
• Lighted bocce, basketball, and volleyball courts.
• Soccer field and hockey rink added in 2002.
• Symmetrical layout of winding walks
• Fieldhouse structures at each end. One is now a Senior Citizen Center while the other serves the playground and playcourts.
• In the center of the park a unique gazebo acts as a bandstand. A brick wall surrounds the
seating area where people once attended concerts "in the round."
• Park has an international flavor—Portuguese and Italians make up the surrounding neighborhood.

IRVINGTON PARK
Grove St. & Lyons Ave.
Irvington, NJ 07111

Features:

• Topography includes varied level tiers.
• A small pond of 1.6 acres used for fishing.
• 1/6-mile running track.
• Football field.
• Soccer field.
• Two softball fields.
• Baseball field.
• Lighted basketball courts.
• Playground.
• Fieldhouse.
• Tennis courts.
• 1/5-mile jogging path around pond.

IVY HILL PARK
Mt. Vernon Pl. & Seton Hall University
Newark, NJ

Features:

• Ten excellent hard surface tennis courts which are shared with the University athletic department.
• Three baseball fields
• One combination football/soccer field.
• Band concert area.
• Lighted basketball court.
• Playground and shelter.

Mills Reservation
Normal Ave. & Reservoir Dr.
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009

Features:

Preserved open spaces.
Walking trails.
Scenic lookout at Quarry Poit

MONTE IRVIN ORANGE PARK
Center St. & Harrison St.
Orange, NJ

Features:

• Football and soccer fields.
• Jogging path.
• Fishing pond: 1 ½ acres
• Lighted basketball court.
• Softball fields.
• Playground.

Kip's Castle Park
22 Crestmont Road
Verona, NJ 07044
973-239-2465

The grounds are open to the public from dawn to dusk. Please feel free to walk around and picnic on the lawn.

The main castle building is home to the Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs and opens for special events. Office hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm.

The carriage house consists only of County offices and is not open to the general public.

Presby Memorial Iris Gardens
474 Upper Mountain Avenue
Upper Montclair, NJ 07043

The property, consisting of the Walther House and Iris Gardens, is designated as a historic site by the National and State Registers of Historic Places and attracts thousands of people from around the world each year. The gardens contain approximately 10,000 irises in 3,000 varieties and produce nearly 100,000 flowers at peak season.

Riker Hill Complex
Beaufort Ave.
Livingston, NJ 07039

Features:

Art studios - painting / ceramics / graphic arts.
Craft center - glass blowing / woodworking / sculpturing.
Hill crest provides a panoramic view of western Essex County.
Throughout the park there is a collection of outdoor sculptures. These pieces, which were donated to the park, have been valued at well over $300,000

RIVERBANK PARK
Market St. & Van Buren St.
Newark, NJ

Features:

• Elaborate grandstand overlooks the baseball field.
• Playground and playground shelter of architectural interest.
• Lighted tennis & basketball courts.
• 1/5 mile running track.
• Synthetic turf soccer field.
• Fieldhouse used for summer playground activities.

South Mountain Reservation
So. Orange Ave. & Cherry Lane
West Orange, NJ

Features:

Turtle Back Zoo.
Richard J. Codey Arena — contains two indoor ice skating rinks. The NJ Devils training facilities are located here. The arena is also used for various special events.
Washington Rock Lookout Historic Site.
Ten picnic areas.
Nineteen miles of hiking and walking trails.
Twenty-seven miles of carriage roads for jogging, horseback riding, & cross-country skiing.
Girl Scout camp.
Archery range.
Rahway River runs through the valley into several ponds and the Orange Reservoir.
Fishing at Diamond Mill Pond.
Hemlock Falls.
Various wildlife, including deer.
Largest parkland in Essex County

VAILSBURG PARK
So. Orange Ave. & Oraton Pkwy.
Newark, NJ

Features:

• Five softball/hardball baseball fields.
• Two soccer fields.
• Updated modern playground & shelter.
• Fieldhouse.
• Senior Citizens Center, with bocce courts.
• Lighted basketball courts.
• Half-mile jogging path.

VERONA PARK
Bloomfield Ave. & Lakeside Ave.
Verona, NJ

Features:

• 13-acre lake for boating and fishing.
• Modernized expanded boathouse.
• Ornamental bridge over the lake, popular for wedding party photographs.
• A new children’s garden.
• Tennis courts.
• Playground.
• 1.2-mile fitness course.
• Softball field.
• Bocce courts.
• Annual craft show.
• Concerts at gazebo in center of park.
• Favorite of joggers and walkers.

WATSESSING PARK
Bloomfield Ave. & Conger St.
Bloomfield, NJ

Features:

• Three playgrounds.
• Football, softball, and soccer fields.
• Basketball courts.
• Newly restored historic bandstand.
• Senior citizen recreation building.
• Formal entrance on Bloomfield Avenue faces town's municipal plaza.
• Elevated railroad tracks bisect the park in the Bloomfield portion.
• Elevated roadway for the Garden State Parkway runs along the eastern portion of the park.
• Toney's Brook and Second River.

WEEQUAHIC PARK
Elizabeth Ave. & Meeker Ave.
Newark, NJ

Features:

• An eighteen hole golf course—one of three golf courses in the park system.
• The famous old half-mile race track where trotters ran weekly is now used by joggers. Gone is the historic grandstand.
• The fieldhouse services ballfields, basketball, and one of two playgrounds.
• The section along Elizabeth Avenue is unique with its rolling hills and attractive monuments.
• Tennis, paddleball courts, a playground and a formal garden also occupy this section.
• The spectacular lake was once popular for rowboating and canoe races.
• A picnic area by the lakeshore.
• 2-mile rubberized jogging track circles the lake.
• Concerts under the stars feature gospel and jazz.

West Essex Reservation
Eagle Rock Ave., & Passaic River
Through Livingston, Roseland, West Caldwell and Fairfield

Features:

Golf driving range & miniature golf.
Environmental Center
Boating & canoe landings.
Fishing areas.
Interpretive trail.
A favorite area for bird-watchers.

West Essex Trail
Fairview Ave., near Verona High School
Verona, NJ

Features:

Bike and hiking trail.
Trestle bridge 20 feet above the rapids of the Peckman River

WEST SIDE PARK
So. 13th St. & 18th Ave.
Newark, NJ

Features:

Basketball, handball, volleyball, and multi-purpose courts.
Baseball and football fields.
Eight tennis courts.
400-meter running track.
A new playground completed in 2003.
A large community center building, administered by a non-profit corporation.
Famous singers Diane Warwick, Whitney Huston, and others have performed in this park.
Used for various school athletic program

Yanticaw Park
Centre St. & Park Dr.
Nutley, NJ

Features:

Fieldhouse.
Football and baseball fields.
Playground & support building.
Unique terrain gently sloping down to the river.
Two foot bridges.
Shuffleboard.
Bocce.
Lighted basketball court
Linden mall

Sports & Recreation

Family/Outdoor Fun

Codey Arena at South Mountain
560 Northfield Avenue,
West Orange, NJ 07052
973-731-3828
Edison National Historic Site
211 Main Street
West Orange, NJ 07052
973-736-0550
Essex County Environmental Center
621B Eagle Rock Avenue
Roseland, NJ 07068
973-228-8776
Prudential Center - Newark
165 Mulberry Street
Newark, NJ 07102
973-757-6000
- Star Parking for Prudential Center
Turtle Back Zoo
560 Northfield Avenue
West Orange, NJ 07052
973-731-5801

Basketball

Seton Hall / Liberty Basketball
Played at Prudential Center
165 Mulberry Street
Newark, NJ 07102
973-757-6000
- Star Parking for Prudential Center

Golf

Francis A. Byrne County Golf Course
Pleasant Valley Way
West Orange, NJ 07052
973-736-2306
Cedar Hill Country Club
100 Walnut St
Livingston, NJ 07039
973-992-4700
Crestmont Country Club
750 Eagle Rock Ave
West Orange, NJ 07052
973-731-0833
East Orange Golf Course
440 Parsonage Hill Rd
Short Hills, NJ 07078
973-379-7190
Essex County Country Club
350 Mt Pleasant Ave
West Orange, NJ 07052
973-731-9764
Essex Fells Country Club
219 Devon Rd
Essex Fells, NJ 07021
973-226-5800
Fernwood Country Club
Fernwood Ave
Roseland, NJ 07068
973-226-3200
Forest Hill Field Club
9 Belleville Ave
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
973-743-125
Glen Ridge Country Club
555 Ridgewood Ave
Glen Ridge, NJ 07028
973-744-7803
Greenbrook Country Club
100 W Greenbrook Rd
North Caldwell, NJ 07006
973-228-1800
Hendricks Field County Golf Course
240 Franklin Avenue
Belleville, NJ
973-751-0178
Maplewood Country Club
28 Baker St
Maplewood, NJ 07040
973-762-0215
Millburn Municipal Golf Course
White Oak Ridge Rd
Short Hills, NJ 07078
973-379-4156
Montclair Golf Club
25 Prospect Ave
West Orange, NJ 07052
973-239-0160
Mountain Ridge Country Club
713 Passaic Ave
West Caldwell, NJ 07006
973-575-0734
Rock Spring Club
Rock Spring Rd
West Orange, NJ 07052
973-731-6466
Weequahic Park County Golf Course
Elizabeth and Grumman Avenue
Newark, NJ
973-923-1838

Hockey

NJ Devils
See them play at:
Prudential Center
165 Mulberry Street
Newark, NJ
Parking for Prudential Center: Star Parking (Across Street), 25 Edison Place

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